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49ers: Why Texas A&M Myles Garrett is a Must-Draft Player

ByEric Gamboa|
Oct 8, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Myles Garrett (15) tackles Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joshua Dobbs (11) during the first quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Myles Garrett (15) tackles Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joshua Dobbs (11) during the first quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
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Sep 24, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Myles Garrett (15) during the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Arguments Against

Let’s start with the arguments used to not draft Garrett. Here are the four points most commonly said against drafting Garrett:

QB is most the most important position

The 49ers have multiple positions of need

There are plenty of quality EDGE rushers

Trading down is the best option

More from SF 49ers Draft

Let’s address the first two bullet statements right now. But first, for context, readers should understand where the other football positions rank in terms of importance.

According to NFL.com, here are the top-five most important positions in football:

  1. The Quarterback
  2. The Pass Rusher (aka EDGE)
  3. The Left Tackle (aka the blindside tackle)
  4. The Left Cornerback (aka a team’s No. 1 cornerback)
  5. The Wide Receiver (a team’s true No. 1 wide receiver)

The QB is undoubtedly the most important position in football. If you are a team with a top-shelf QB, then you could be a perennial playoff contender like the Green Bay Packers or the New England Patriots.

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Jan 14, 2017; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) warms up before the start of the game against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

However, what is often missed is that the QB position is so important that when a team misses, that deficit in talent at that position causes a team’s overall talent level to plummet. Imagine that we are in a court a court of football law and you are the jury. I present to you, the jury, the following cases as precedents:

Los Angeles Rams, New York Jets, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers and the Cleveland Browns.

The growing consensus among draftniks is that this year’s crop of high end QB prospects are not elite-level prospects. These players come with plenty of question marks.

Pick wrong and the 49ers will be set back for a number of years.

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Oct 31, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) throws in the third quarter against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field. Notre Dame won 24-20. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

The other positions of need for the 49ers are the cornerback, safety, nose tackle, the inside linebacker and the wide receiver position. The 49ers could trade down to address the multiple positions but what are those positions and what rounds will you select those players?

In today’s NFL, you don’t select linebackers in the Top-10 unless you are set at other key positions. Excellent nose tackles can be had in the third-round. There isn’t a shutdown cornerback anywhere in this draft class.

That leaves the wide receiver and the safety position.

The draft does provide top-tier talents such as Clemson WR Mike Williams and Ohio State safety Malik Hooker. Niner Noise’ very own Nicholas McGee recognized Hooker’s amazing speed and play recognition.

Still, the 49ers’ have options at the safety position by moving current slot corner back Jimmy Ward to the safety position. In addition, the 49ers could also choose to add proven WRs via free agency such as current Chicago Bears WR Alshon Jeffery.

All of this brings us back to the reasons why the 49ers should draft Garrett.

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